Pacific Paddler December 2015 - (Page 43)

3 stretches every paddler should know For those of you who may be new to the sport of Outrigger Canoe Paddling, here are a few tips to help keep your body feeling good. If you are like me, you have just been introduced to paddling and are hooked. After my first practice, I found that I was feeling soreness in muscles that I was not expecting, like my glutes and my back/trunk. There are a few stretches that I adopted into my warm up and found that I was able to reach farther with less soreness the next day. To get your body ready to get the most out of each stroke, you want to mimic the motion of paddling and get your spine warmed up. You can use your paddle to do these stretches. First, hold your paddle over your head and bend to the side then to the other side and repeat 10-15 times. Second, bring your paddle in front of you with your arms by your side and your elbows bent and rotate your body side to side. Finally, you can add a step and reach up over your head and allow your back to bend backwards. Each motion should be done in your pain-free range. The goal with any dynamic warm-up like this is to get the blood flowing through your muscles and to allow your spine to move a little more without injuring yourself. Once your spine is warmed up, you can include some exercises to get your legs ready for paddling. Yes, your legs, that's where you can get more power out of each stroke. Stand in a lunge, being sure to keep your knee from crossing in front of your toes. Then add any of the directions for the previous stretches, or you can do your paddle stroke. When you are in the canoe, there are a couple of stretches that are easy to do as well. For your shoulders, try crossing your arm across your body and holding it for 30 seconds. Then you can also lift your arm up and pull your elbow back for a nice stretch, again holding it for at least 30 seconds. Finally, if you do start to feel some tension in your neck, try holding on to the seat of your canoe and bending your head away from the side you are holding. This will give a nice stretch to your upper trapezius muscle, which often tries to kick in and cause problems. The same stretch can be done by reaching behind your back and grabbing your opposite arm to stabilize, then bending to the side. Try these stretches to keep your body warmed up and to reduce your risk for injury as you begin your paddling adventure this season! AMANDA WITKO, PT, DPT AT JACO DECEMBER / JANUARY 2016 PHYSICAL REHABILITATION PACIFICPADDLER.com 43 http://www.jacorehab.com http://www.PACIFICPADDLER.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Paddler December 2015

Pailolo Challenge
Na Wahine Cancelled
Hawaiian Airlines Molokai Hoe
Catalina 2015
Greater Montreal Outrigger Challenge
Na Holo Kai:Oahu to Kauai
American Samoa in the Channel
3 stretches every paddler should know
Ikaika Hawaii rowing program
Canoes are “Whos”

Pacific Paddler December 2015